Locking attachment for cork-rod bakers



v C. E. McMANUS..

LOCKING ATTACHMENT FOR CORK ROD BAKERS. APPLICATION HL EDJUNE1| 1921. 1,412,125, Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

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I uNir r 1 es- CHARLES 12.; M i/Imus, or nEwYoaK, N. Y.

Beit knownthat I, CHARnEsiE l/le} MANUs, a citizen ofthe United States, re

siding at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and- State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Locking Attachments for Cork.- Rod Bakers, ofwhich'the following is a specification,reference being had there n to the accompanying drawings, which form-a [invention relates to locking attachments for cork rod bakers, anamor' vparticularly to an automatically actuated device adapted to holdthe filledand packed tubes in the carriers While they are pro gre's'sing through the baker or vulcanizer for the purpose of 'vulcanizin'g or curing the composition in the tubes While permitting the 'releaseof the tubes and their removal from the carrier, while incide'ntly setting the carrier preparatory to the recharging thereof. v i

In a vulcanizing or baking machine ofthe character to which my' invention relates,

i tubes packed With composition cork are mounted in movable carriers of the type re-1 ferred to in my copending applicationse rial N 0. 473,426 filed'lday'EZS, 1921, imam-e conveyed slowly through a bakingor fvulcaniz'ing machine" in Whichthey are sub jected to an elevated temperature}, At thev receiving endof the baker or vulcan zer', each. carrier receives a-plura l'ity of tubeswhich are mounted upon'the carrier by hand, the tubes being removed from thec'a'rr-ier, also by hand, atgthe delivery 'endiof the machine,

Since the tubes are subjected to the elevated temperature for an interval betweenione and three hoursaccording to the binderusedin the e'ompositiomeconomy of space demands that the carrier'shall folloiva sinuous course,

upwardly and downwardly, While in' the baker or vulc'anizer. To avoid the necessity; for too'iclose a fitbetn eenthe ends ofthe tiibes' and the'carrier plates as well as to allow for expansion of the tubes under the 'heat of the baker .or' tulcanizer, I provide each carrieiwith a locking attachment adapted to be brought across the top of the tubes mounted in the carrier, and thus 'hold th em in the carrier irrespecti 'e of the position thereof whilepassing through the bakeror vulcanizern I also prov de'ineans ad a'cent the receiving end of the vulcaniz er adapted,

LOCKING ATTACHMENT non coax-n01) BAX-Ens;

V Speeificationof Letters Patent, Pat nt d Ap 11 -1 2 Applic ationlfileii t m 1, 1921. "semi Non 74,231. r I

to automatically set the locking attachment I V i i as thecarrier movesfther'eintq', thus expediting-thecharging of eachcarrier'. f i At the delivery end, the release of the locklng attachment to permit the removal of the tubes, will result? in its, being positioned With relation tothe carrier'in a manner to permitits being charged with a fresh supply of tubes. a 7 7 "In this manner noattention to. the locking attachment is 'required offthe operator at the charging end of the baker or, Vulcan izer, and all possibility of the escape of tubes .from the carrier While passing through the baker orvulcanizer, is avoided.

The construction of the locking attachment is such as topermit its convenient release at the, delivery end of the baker or vulcanizer, while ensuring permanency inits positioning when it is either set or released, thus increasing the capacity of the machine by securing uniformity in the conditions of all carriers at the receiving endofthe ma chine. V i (Q 7 1 The invention consists primarily :in a'jlocking attachment for cork rod bakers embody:

ing therein the combination withafmoivable I carrier for a plurality of super-imposed tubes, of a rotatabl'e keeper bar carriedf thereby and movable about an axis at right angles to the. aXesof the tubes,- said keeper bar being adapted to project acrossthe top of the tubes, and anabutmentcarried by the.

baker structure positioned at one side of the axis of said-keeper bar and'in the. path-of movement thereof, whereby as said keeper in its operative position, and the inter-me diate carrier showing a keeper bar as it is being automatically moved from its. inoperative to its operative position;

carrier to the right showing a keeper bar Fig. 2 is an end View of the locking attachment of the intermediate carrier on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the stay rod and locking attachment on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4:, the latter being in the 1noperative position; and

Fig. 4c is a similar section showlng the locking attachment in elevation and 1n the operative position with relation to the tubes in the carrier, on the line 4 4; of Fig. 1, upon an enlarged scale.-

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Since the present invention relates solely to the means for locking the tubes in the carrier, and since the construction of the carrier is immaterial to the present invention, the showing of the drawings is limited to the construction of the locking attachment and of its actuating means, and the description will also be so limited, with an incident-a1 reference to the construction of the baker and the means for conveying the tubes packed with cork composition therethrough.

In a baker or vulcanizer used in curing or vulcanizing cork rods formed by packing granular cork having a thin coating of abinder adapted to be vulcanized or cured at an elevated temperature, the practice has been to mount upon endless conveyer chains, a sequence of carriers adapted to engage opposite ends of the rod. These carriers are passed through a baking oven or vulcanizer at low speed and in a sinuous course, thus resulting in a frequent change in the position of the carrier so as to necessitate the provision of some means for preventing the packed tubes from falling from the carrier.

The carriers are charged with tubes by hand at the receiving end of the baking oven or vulcanizer, and are removed by hand at the delivery end, the locking attachment being made so as to be automatically brought into its operative position and thus obviate likelihood of the feeder neglecting to lock the tubes in the carriers.

The carrier in connection 'withwhich a locking attachment made in accordance with my invention is used, includes therein a stay rod 0, the axis of which is substantially parallel with the axes of the tubes grouped upon opposite sides thereof in the carrier, the feeding movement of the carrier being at right angles to the axis of said stay rod.

Pivotally mounted in the stay rod 0a of each carrier by means of the pivot stem 6 is a rotatable head 0 carrying a keeper bar d of a length to extend over and engage the uppermost tubes supported by the carrier, said head being of a height to position the bar in the manner described. 7 The lower face of the head 0 is curved to conform to the perimeter of the rod a, the curvature of said surface being along two lines at right angles to each other so that the head 0 may be locked to hold the keeper bar with its axis parallel with that of the stay rod a or at right angles thereto and to the axes of the tubes, the stem 7; being capable of longitudinal movement in its bearing in said stay rod to permit the desired rotary movement of said head from the operative to the inoperative position, or vice versa.

Encircling the stem 6 below the rod a is a spring seat forming washer 2 between which and a washer carried by the lower end of the stem 7) is seated a coiled spring f having a normal tendency to draw the head 0 toward the rod a, the tension ofthis spring being sufiiciently light to permit movement of the head cradially of the stay rod a in moving the keeper bar to an inoperative position with relation to the tubes at the discharge end of the oven or vulcanizer.

This actuation of the keeper bard to its in operative-position or with its axis parallel to that of the stay rod a, which is necessary to permit the removal of the packed tubes from the oven or vulcanizer, also positions the locking attachment so that at the receiving end of the machine, it requires no attention by the operator who fills the carriers.

Carried, by the oven adjacent the receiving end of the machine, is an abutment '9 arranged at one side of the axis of the stem 1) in a position to be engaged by the keeper bar (Z after the carrier has been filled and as it is about to enter the oven, thus causing the progress of the carrier and the looking attachment to result in a rotary movement of the stem 6, its head 0 and the keeper bar (5 as a result of the movement of the carrier.

The packed tubes are shown at h.

The operation of the herein described mechanism is substantially as follows r In feeding the baker or vulcanizer, the tubes h are mounted in the carriers one at a time, requiring both hands of the feeder. At the delivery end, however, the tubes are removed in bulk, thus, permitting a more rapid discharge of the machine than a charging thereof.

By employing an automatic locking attachment, the feeder may mount the tubes in the carriers somewhat more rapidly than would be possible if after each carrier is filled, it is necessary to set the locking attachment by hand, thus permitting a slight increase in the speed of operation of the machine,

which in a continuously operating mechanism is a matter of considerable importance.

Furthermore, likelihood of the feeder overlooking the locking of the tubes in the carrier is avoided.

As each carrier approaches the feeding position, the keeper bar 03 will. be in the position shown to the left of Fig. 1, thus leaving the field about and above the carrier entirelyunobstructed, so that the feeder may rapidly. mount the tubes thereinln Asfsoon as one carrier is completely charged vwith the tubes containinothe cork rods, the feeder may begin charging the next carrier, and as the carrier progresses, the bar cl at one side of the axis thereof will engage the'abutment g and be rotated'as'the carrier moves past the abutment. As the head 0 is rotated with the bar d, it will rise against the tension of the spring f as a result of the engagement of the opposite walls upon one of the under curvatures of the-head c, the right angularly arranged curvature co -acting with the stay rod a and the spring 7 to complete the desired 90 movement of the head 0, at the same time engagingthe right angular curvature above referred to with the rod a so as prevent accidental rotation of the keeper bar while in the oven or vulcanizer. 7

As each carrier approaches the discharge end of said oven or vulcanizer, the operator at that end of the machine will release the locking attachment by grasping the bar d, raising the head 0 against the tension of the spring 7, a manual 90 turn to the bar, and permitting it to drop back into place where it will be locked in its inoperative position. Thereafter he will seize a group of rods and remove them from the carrier and allow the carrier to proceed empty back to the delivery end of the machine. This will not in any Way limit the capacity of the machine, as the operator at the delivery end requires less time to remove the tubes than is required-by the operator at the receiving end of the baking oven or."

vulcanizer. s lVhlle the carriers are progressing through the oven or vulcanizer, the bar (Z will extend at right'angles to the axis of the tubes, and across the top of same so as to'prevent the escape of the tubes from the carrier irrespective of the'positi'on of the carrier.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

l. A locking attachment for cork rod bakers embodying therein the combination with a movable carrier for a plurality ofsuper-imposed tubes, of a rotatable keeper bar carried thereby and movable about an axis at right angles to the axes of the tubes, said keeper bar being adapted to project across the top of the tubes, and an abutment carried by the baker structure positioned at one side of the axis of saidkeeper bar and in the path of movement thereof, whereby as said keeper bar engagestsaidabutment it'. 7

will berotated to position "above said tubes to prevent their escape? from the arrier while progressing through the bakeri 1 23A locking attachment for cork rod bakers embodying therein the comblna-tlon with a' movable carrier.fora-plurality of super-imposed tubes, of a rotatable head carried: thereby and movableab'out an axis at right angles to the :axesofthe tubes; a

keeper bar carried by said head and adapted in the path of movement thereof, whereby as said keeper bar engages said abutment it will be rotated to position above saidtubes to prevent their escape from the carrier while progressing through the baker.

i one side of the axis of said keeper bar and.

3. A locking attachment for cork rod bakers embodying therein the combination with 'a movable carrier for a plurality of;

super-imposed tubes having a stay rod with its axis extending parallel to theaxes of the tubes, of a keeper bar rotatably mounted upon said rod and movable about an axis at right angles thereto, said keeper bar being adapted to project across the top of the tubes, and an abutment carried by the baker structure positioned at one sideof the axis of'said keeper bar and in the path of movement thereof, whereby as said keeper bar engages said abutment it will be rotated to position above said tubes to prevent their escape from the carrier while progressing Q 7. through the baker.

4:. A locking attachment for cork rod bakers embodying therein the combination with a movable carrier for a plurality of super-imposed tubes having a stay rod with its axis extending parallel to the axes of the tubes, of astem' rotatably mounted in said rod and having movement about an axis at right angles to the axis thereof, a head car v ried-by said stem, a keeper bar carried by.

said head and adapted to projectacross the top ofsaid tubes, the under surface of said head having curved surfaces extending at spectively to engage the perimeter of said rod, whereby said head and said keeper bar will be held in the set or in the released position, a spring acting upon said stem andagainst said rod, wherebymovement of said head with relation to said rod, and rotary movement of said head and'saidkeeper bar, is permitted, and an abutment carried by the baker structure positioned at one side of right angles to each other and adapted re- I fir 1,442,125

the axis of said keeper bar and in the path of movement thereof, whereby as said keeper bar engages said abutment it will be rotated to position above said tubes to prevent their escape from the carrier while progressing through the baker. v

5. A locking attachment for cork rod bakers embodying therein the combination with a sequence of movable carriers each adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed tubes, of a movable member on each carrier adapted to be projected across the top of the tubes at an angle to the axes thereof, and to be manually moved into substantial alinement with the axes of the tubes,

CHARLES E. MoMANUS.

Witnesses:

F. T. WENrwoRrH, FRIEDA KOEHLER. 

